Mount Marathon Looming

On July 4^th each year for the past nearly 100 years, Seward, Alaska has hosted the Mount Marathon trail race. Officially held for the first time in 1915, MMR started as a sort of bar wager that morphed into the yearly spectacle that it's become. The name is a bit of a head fake for outsiders. It’s not a marathon but rather climbs a shoulder of a mountain baring the name. Climbing from downtown Seward 3,022 feet and 3.5 miles to the turnaround and back to town, the race has tested mountain runners for nearly a century.

The race is unique in its no-holds-barred approach straight up and straight down the 38-degree slope of loose shale, Devil’s Club, Slide Alder, cliffs and waterfalls. There are steep trails to choose from the whole way but most simply head straight up the fall line. Rain occasionally turns the lower slopes into a slick mudfest that further challenges competitors. The race is nothing less than a spectacle for South Central Alaskans and the 4^th of July celebration ensures large crowds along the way.

Large crowds gather at the bottom of the chute and await the carnageJuniors (who go to half way and then down), women and men all have their own separate events over the course of the day with the men’s race commencing at 3pm. A big parade precedes the men’s race so a big crowd is on hand for the finish. With the mountain looming directly above town, nearly the whole race can be viewed from a lawn chair and through a spotting scope at strategic positions in town.

Right of Passage

One can’t really call oneself a mountain runner in Alaska and not do MMR. It’s a right of passage and, until you do it, you’re sort of on the outside of the club up here. The problem is, the race is a logistical challenge getting three races done in a short day full of holiday festivities. The number of competitors is capped to make it possible to pull the race off. No easy feat. The organizers also respect previous participants’ desire to run again…and again…and again. This legacy limits the slots for new blood.

For the uninitiated like me, getting into MMR requires some luck, money or the good graces of the race committee. There's a lottery held the night before the race where the well-heeled or truly desperate can buy a spot for, sometimes, $1,000 or more. Seems crazy, I know, but, like I said, MMR is a big deal up here. The extra cash supports the race so it’s all good if you can afford it. The other option is to request a “special invite” where you write a letter and plead your case. This is, in fact, how I got the nod this year. Must’ve caught the committee in a weak moment.

Stepping Up

Be careful what you wish for, goes the saying. The thing about MMR, is that not only do you have to race 3,000 feet up some steep-ass terrain, you have to come crashing down loose scree and then navigate a rocky creek bed with some perilous drops along the way to the finish. This race has maimed more than a few competitors over the years. The downhill requires a special set of descending skills best honed over a few seasons. With a dodgy ankle, I’m fully scared of this section but several training bouts on the course and a pair of ankle braces has belayed some of my worry. Still, you can bet I’ll be smiling inwardly if I make to the final bit of pavement unscathed on my way to the line come the 4^th.

Eric Strabel, MMR record holder, showing how it's done. 10 minutes flat from the top to the finish.The importance of the downhill was never more apparent than during the record setting men's race last year. Ricky Gates, a well-known and successful ultra runner from the Lower 48 was granted a special invite and looked to better the typically Alaskan field. Strabel (closest) sights in on Gates (in white) as the descent beginsIn fact, he was leading by a comfortable margin at the turn around but eventual winner and now record holder, Eric Strabel of Anchorage, had different ideas. As Ricky tells it, half way down the scree he heard and felt a freight train baring down on him and soon Eric came careening by with well-honed MMR downhill technique that blasted him to the front. Truth be told, although Eric made up a huge margin with his move, Gates stayed close enough to threaten near the base but an untimely crash and shoulder dislocation kept him 15 seconds in arears by the line. Both men beat the 30 year old record. Ricky will be back this year for a rematch. 

Preparation

The best part about getting into Mount Marathon (besides actually getting to take part) is that it has focused my training in a way lost to me over the last couple years. Although my work schedule prohibits the 12-18 hour training weeks I used to get in Jackson, I’ve been regimented about doing the intensity needed to be at my best come race day. I’m doing two threshold workouts a week, varying the work/rest ratios to keep it interesting and tolerable. I’ve used two races along the way to confirm my fitness and both tests have been positive. Stay tuned for more on that. One more week of hard training and then the taper starts.